Oakajee Port & Rail RFP submission to Government

May 14, 2008

Oakajee Port and Rail has successfully submitted to government their response to the Request For Proposal (RFP) to develop the new Oakajee deepwater port and onshore iron ore stock yard facilities. OPR seeks to maximise value for the community, government and its shareholders from the development and coordinated operation of an iron ore supply chain comprising rail and port infrastructure for iron ore sourced from the mid-west region of Western Australia. OPR was established in September 2007 and is jointly owned by Murchison Metals Ltd and Mitsubishi Development PTY Ltd.

The Oakajee site boasts a natural deep anchorage - one of very few such sites on the Western Australian coast – and the proposed port, once developed, will have the capacity to accommodate cape size vessels and fully laden panamax carriers to handle the identified demand of in excess of 60 million tonnes per annum (Mtpa) of iron ore and other bulk commodities.

OPR has conducted advanced studies on a deepwater port facility to service the growing iron ore industry in the mid-west. A comprehensive set of baseline marine and terrestrial studies has been in progress since early 2006. Studies completed include port seismic surveys, bathymetry and wave climate studies, on-shore geotechnical drilling and environmental impact biological surveys.

The state-of-the-art facilities at the proposed new Oakajee port will be designed to control dust. The development will complement the existing Geraldton port, with potential to reduce noise and dust impacts within the existing port area for the benefit of port users and local residents. The new facility will help generate increased business in the region and provide fair and equitable access to all iron ore producers.

As the project's environmental managers, ecologia’s role encompassed:

Overall environmental coordination and input to the design phase of the project